Gary O’Brien

http://garyobrien.com

Charlotte Observer

Resume narrative, 1979-2008

Staff photographer/Night Picture Editor - September 2007 to present

I do it all - four days a week shooting stills, video and multimedia for daily publication, one night a week on the night photo desk. I shoot a variety of assignments, incorporating stills, video, VR panoramas, time-lapse and sound for multimedia packages on charlotteobserver.com.

Night Picture Editor - September 2006 to September 2007

I was asked to take on the night picture desk after a staff shake-up. Working full-time as an editor required some adjustment on my part.

I quickly learned how to work with the various personalities in the newsroom, and pushed to have the night photo editor recognized as a peer in the content editing process (both in print and online), rather than as a clerk.

Incorporating those efforts with my knowledge of our newsroom systems and photo editing, I was able to create a new way of working for the night photo editor. These changes now enable us to better provide excellent visual journalism to our readers.

The key to these changes was placing the night picture editor (PE) directly in the midst of the copy and page workflow. The PE now has access to the same content that editors, designers and copy editors are viewing in the CCI content management system. This gives the PE the advantage of knowing the full context of the stories and news judgment, and allows making photo decisions based not just on aesthetics, but on news value and news judgment.

As part of this work, in December 2006 I began producing a nightly online photo gallery called The Daily Edit. Page views on this feature rose to averaging nearly 8,000 page views a day as of August 2007 (NOTE: in Q3 2008, The Daily Edit averages 35K page views a day). I devised a workflow using our print photo handling applications to quickly and easily produce these galleries, and wrote a how-to document for staff and other picture editors. This has allowed us to expand our gallery production to as many as dozen a day. In Q3 2008, slideshows accounted for nearly 20 percent of total page views on charlotteobserver.com.

Photographer | Photo Lab Manager June 2003 to May 2006

In 2004, I began shooting again, concentrating on project work and multimedia production along with systems and department admin duties.

• One notable project was a year-long project documenting a fifth-grade classroom in a high-poverty school during the 2005-06 school year. I created a weekly photo for feature sections, as well as three long-form multimedia pieces at various junctures throughout the year.
• I also created over 40 panoramas for charlotte.com, as well as several video productions, all from daily assignments. I continued to improve my use of panoramic photography and sound in online presentations, as well creating some of the first video content for charlotte.com.
• I set up two webcams which were featured on charlotte.com, allowing anyone on the web to see weather and sky conditions in Charlotte.
• In addition to shooting, I continued to maintain the photographers' equipment and computers as well as purchase equipment and supplies, and capital procurement and planning. Much of the planning I did was oriented toward procuring the first generation of multimedia equipment (sound and video) and software used by the photo staff.
• In 2005 and 2006, I was part of a team that designed and implemented our current SCC MediaServer installation. My role was to use my knowledge of AP Preserver and JobMinder to assure accurate migration of data, including 200K images and 35K assignments. I also led an initiative to improve digital photo workflow, which implemented automated archiving of photographers' digital negatives.

Regional Picture Editor January 2003 to June 2003

This was a six-month temporary assignment (filling an open position).

• I supervised five photographers and four stringers in our regional bureaus.
• I was responsible for assignment editing, photo selection and working with designers to use photos to best advantage.
• The work I did during this time learned me a quarterly award for the top performer in the Observer newsroom.

Photo Systems Editor 1998-2003

During this period, I led the following photography IT projects. I also explored the new field of online multimedia.

• AP Preserver installation and photo workflow revision 1998
• AP JobMinder installation and training 1999
• Staff photographers’ conversion from film to digital, 1998-2001
• First digital negative archiving system 1998-2000

My other duties during this time were:

• Photo Department liaison to CCI superuser group 1998-2001
• Capital and supply/equipment budgeting, planning and procurement.
• Maintaining photographers’ laptops and software.
• Created and maintained equipment inventory and supervised repairs.

During this time, I also explored the new field of multimedia photojournalism.

• I did the first online multimedia projects in 2000 for charlotte.com, incorporating sound and simple Flash animation to create slide shows.
• I also began shooting panoramic photographs in 2003, publishing my first virtual tour on charlotte.com in early 2004.
• I produced annual year-end multimedia presentations from 1997 to 2001.

Staff Photographer on Special Assignment/Photo Systems 1996-97

After a photo system failure on election night 1996, I was tasked to revamp our photo systems and workflow. I Implemented a folder-based filing system using SCC PhotoGrid as a browser to temporarily replace a beta version of AP Preserver for local photos, and began the process of replacing the Preserver.

Staff Photographer/Picture Editor 1988-95

General assignment photographer. Saturday picture editor, substituted in assignment desk and night picture desk roles as required. Covered assignments across the Carolinas, the US and Europe.

Won NC Photographer of the Year in '93 and '94. NC Clip POY in ’94.

Staff Photographer/Picture Editor – The Mesa (AZ) Tribune 1983-85

General assignment photographer. Substitute picture editor, filled in for Director of Photography during paternity leaves. Covered assignments across the Southwest and in Mexico.

Staff Photographer – The (Flagstaff) Arizona Daily Sun 1982-1983

General assignment photographer. Covered assignments across northern Arizona.

Partner – The Naked Eye, Flagstaff AZ 1980-1982

Ran a freelance photography/custom photo lab business in Historic Downtown Flagstaff. Publication credits from this time include: The Christian Science Monitor, Asahi Shimbun, Arizona Highways, The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Daily Sun.

B.S. Photography – Northern Arizona University 1979

Photojournalism emphasis. Minor in Chemistry. Student newspaper, yearbook.

Teaching experience 1988-2008

I developed and presented a lecture on the photojournalistic ethics of panorama to audiences at the May 2007 National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Multimedia Bootcamp in Portland, Oregon, and at the International Virtual Reality Photographers Association (IVRPA) Annual Summit in Berkeley, California in June 2007.

Part of this presentation was a "How It's Done" online feature explaining the basics of panoramic photography and its relationship to photojournalism ethics. This feature was highly praised by Tom Kennedy, Managing Editor for Visuals at washingtonpost.com.

I was a faculty member for the first four years of the Carolinas Photojournalism Workshop, a week-long seminar headed by UNC-Chapel Hill photojournalism instructor Pat Davison. The archive of the four years can be found in the Participants section of the 2007 site: http://carolinaphotojournalism.org:16080/cpjw/2007/

I have presented dozens of classroom demonstrations and lectures in schools and universities across the Carolinas and in Arizona during the past 20 years. My focus is not on showing off my portfolio, but to use my work to help students understand the why rather than the how of what we do as news photographers.

I have taught a number of seminars at The Light Factory (http://lightfactory.org), a photographic arts cooperative in Charlotte. These included: Pinhole photography for elementary schoolers; Creating a personal history through photography for secondary school students; and Basic photojournalism (six-session night class).